The present invention relates to fungicidal mixtures for controlling harmful fungi and also to methods for controlling harmful fungi using such mixtures.
WO 97/08952 describes mixtures of amide compounds of the formula I
Axe2x80x94COxe2x80x94NR1R2xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(I)
in which
A is an aryl group or an aromatic or nonaromatic, 5- or 6-membered heterocycle which has from 1 to 3 hetero atoms selected from O, N and S; where the aryl group or the heterocycle may or may not have 1, 2 or 3 substituents which are selected, from alkyl, halogen, CHF2, CF3, alkoxy, haloalkoxy, alkylthio, alkylsulfynyl and alkylsulfonyl;
R1 is a hydrogen atom;
R2 is a phenyl or cycloalkyl group which may or may not have 1, 2 or 3 substituents which are selected, from alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, alkoxy, alkenyloxy, alkynyloxy, cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl, cycloalkyloxy, cycloalkenyloxy, phenyl and halogen, where the aliphatic and cycloaliphatic radicals may be partially or fully halogenated and/or the cycloaliphatic radicals may be substituted by from 1 to 3 alkyl groups and where the phenyl group may have from 1 to 5 halogen atoms and/or from 1 to 3 substituents which are selected, independently of one another, from alkyl, haloalkyl, alkoxy, haloalkoxy, alkylthio and haloalkylthio, and where the amidic phenyl group may be condensed with a saturated 5-membered ring which may be substituted by one or more alkyl groups and/or may have a hetero atom selected from O and S, and the active ingredient fenazaquin known as an acaricide.
(xc2x1)-(2-Chlorophenyl)(4-chlorophenyl)(pyrimidin-5-yl)methanol (common name: fenarimol), its preparation and its action against harmful fungi are known from the literature (GB-A 1,218,623).
It is an object of the present invention to provide other fungicidal mixtures for controlling harmful fungi and in particular for certain applications.
We have found that this object is achieved by a mixture which comprises as active ingredients amide compounds of the formula I defined at the outset and as further fungicidally active component fenarimol.
The mixtures according to the invention have synergistic action and are therefore particularly suitable for controlling harmful fungi and in particular powdery mildew fungi in vegetables and grapevines.
In the context of the present invention, halogen is fluorine, chlorine, bromine and iodine and is in particular fluorine, chlorine and bromine.
The term xe2x80x9calkylxe2x80x9d includes straight-chain and branched alkyl groups. These are preferably straight-chain or branched C1-C12-alkyl and in particular C1-C6-alkyl groups. Examples of alkyl groups are alkyl such as, in particular, methyl, ethyl, propyl, 1-methylethyl, butyl, 1-methylpropyl, 2-methylpropyl, 1,1-dimethylethyl, n-pentyl, 1-methylbutyl, 2-methylbutyl, 3-methylbutyl, 1,2-dimethylpropyl, 1,1-dimethylpropyl, 2,2-dimethylpropyl, 1-ethylpropyl, n-hexyl, 1-methylpentyl, 2-methylpentyl, 3-methylpentyl, 4-methylpentyl, 1,2-dimethylbutyl, 1,3-dimethylbutyl, 2,3-dimethylbutyl, 1,1-dimethylbutyl, 2,2-dimethylbutyl, 3,3-dimethylbutyl, 1,1,2-trimethylpropyl, 1,2,2-trimethylpropyl, 1-ethylbutyl, 2-ethylbutyl, 1-ethyl-2-methylpropyl, n-heptyl, 1-methylhexyl, 1-ethylpentyl, 2-ethylpentyl, 1-propylbutyl, octyl, decyl, dodecyl.
Haloalkyl is an alkyl group as defined above which is partially or fully halogenated by one or more halogen atoms, in particular by fluorine and chlorine. Preferably, there are from 1 to 3 halogen atoms present, and the difluoromethyl or the tri-fluoromethyl group is particularly preferred.
The above statements for the alkyl group and the haloalkyl group apply in a corresponding manner to the alkyl and haloalkyl groups in alkoxy, haloalkoxy, alkylthio, haloalkylthio, alkylsulfynyl and alkylsulfonyl.
The alkenyl group includes straight-chain and branched alkenyl groups. These are preferably straight-chain or branched C3-C12-alkenyl groups and in particular C3-C6-alkenyl groups. Examples of alkenyl groups are 2-propenyl, 2-butenyl, 3-butenyl, 1-methyl-2-propenyl, 2-methyl-2-propenyl, 2-pentenyl, 3-pentenyl, 4-pentenyl, 1-methyl-2-butenyl, 2-methyl-2-butenyl, 3-methyl-2-butenyl, 1-methyl-3-butenyl, 2-methyl-3-butenyl, 3-methyl-3-butenyl, 1,1-dimethyl-2-propenyl, 1,2-dimethyl-2-propenyl, 1-ethyl-2-propenyl, 2-hexenyl, 3-hexenyl, 4-hexenyl, 5-hexenyl, 1-methyl-2-pentenyl, 2-methyl-2-pentenyl, 3-methyl-2-pentenyl, 4-methyl-2-pentenyl, 1-methyl-3-pentenyl, 2-methyl-3-pentenyl, 3-methyl-3-pentenyl, 4-methyl-3-pentenyl, 1-methyl-4-pentenyl, 2-methyl-4-pentenyl, 3-methyl-4-pentenyl, 4-methyl-4-pentenyl, 1,1-dimethyl-2-butenyl, 1,1-dimethyl-3-butenyl, 1,2-dimethyl-2-butenyl, 1,2-dimethyl-3-butenyl, 1,3-dimethyl-2-butenyl, 1,3-dimethyl-3-butenyl, 2,2-dimethyl-3-butenyl, 2,3-dimethyl-2-butenyl, 2,3-dimethyl-3-butenyl, 1-ethyl-2-butenyl, 1-ethyl-3-butenyl, 2-ethyl-2-butenyl, 2-ethyl-3-butenyl, 1,1,2-trimethyl-2-propenyl, 1-ethyl-1-methyl-2-propenyl and 1-ethyl-2-methyl-2-propenyl, in particular 2-propenyl, 2-butenyl, 3-methyl-2-butenyl and 3-methyl-2-pentenyl.
The alkenyl group may be partially or fully halogenated by one or more halogen atoms, in particular by fluorine or chlorine. The alkenyl group preferably has from 1 to 3 halogen atoms.
The alkynyl group includes straight-chain and branched alkynyl groups. These are preferably straight-chain and branched C3-C12-alkynyl groups and in particular C3-C6-alkynyl groups. Examples of alkynyl groups are 2-propynyl, 2-butynyl, 3-butynyl, 1-methyl-2-propynyl, 2-pentynyl, 3-pentynyl, 4-pentynyl, 1-methyl-3-butynyl, 2-methyl-3-butynyl, 1-methyl-2-butynyl, 1,1-dimethyl-2-propynyl, 1-ethyl-2-propynyl, 2-hexynyl, 3-hexynly, 4-hexynyl, 5-hexynyl, 1-methyl-2-pentynyl, 1-methyl-3-pentynly, 1-methyl-4-pentynyl, 2-methyl-3-pentynyl, 2-methyl-4-pentynly, 3-methyl-4-pentynyl, 4-methyl-2-pentynyl, 1,2-dimethyl-2-butynyl, 1,1-dimethyl-3-butynyl, 1,2-dimethyl-3-butynyl, 2,2-dimethyl-3-butynyl, 1-ethyl-2-butynyl, 1-ethyl-3-butynyl, 2-ethyl-3-butynyl and 1-ethyl-1-methyl-2-propynyl.
The above statements for the alkenyl group and its halogen substituents and for the alkynyl group apply in a corresponding manner to alkenyloxy and alkynyloxy.
The cycloalkyl group is preferably a C3-C6-cycloalkyl group, such as cyclopropyl, cyclobutyl, cyclopentyl or cyclohexyl. If the cycloalkyl group is substituted, it preferably has from 1 to 3 C1-C4-alkyl radicals as substituents.
Cycloalkenyl is preferably a C4-C6-cycloalkenyl group, such as cyclobutenyl, cyclopentenyl or cyclohexenyl. If the cycloalkenyl group is substituted, it preferably has from 1 to 3 C1-C4-alkyl radicals as substituents.
A cycloalkoxy group is preferably a C5-C6-cycloalkoxy group, such as cyclopentyloxy or cyclohexyloxy. If the cycloalkoxy group is substituted, it preferably has from 1 to 3 C1-C4-alkyl radicals as substituents.
The cycloalkenyloxy group is preferably a C5-C6-cycloalkenyloxy group, such as cyclopentyloxy or cyclohexyloxy. If the cycloalkenyloxy group is substituted, it preferably has from 1 to 3 C1-C4-alkyl radicals as substituents.
Aryl is preferably phenyl.
If A is a phenyl group, this may have one, two or three of the abovementioned substituents in any position. These substituents are preferably selected, independently of one another, from alkyl, difluoromethyl, trifluoromethyl and halogen, in particular chlorine, bromine and iodine. Particularly preferably, the phenyl group has a substituent in the 2-position.
If A is a 5-membered heterocycle, it is in particular a furyl, thiazolyl, pyrazolyl, imidazolyl, oxazolyl, thienyl, triazolyl or thiadiazolyl radical or the corresponding dihydro or tetrahydro derivatives thereof. Preference is given to a thiazolyl or pyrazolyl radical.
If A is a 6-membered heterocycle, it is in particular a pyridyl radical or a radical of the formula: 
in which one of the radicals X and Y is O, S or NR9, where R9 is H or alkyl, and the other of the radicals X and Y is CH2, S, SO, SO2 or NR9. The dotted line means that a double bond may or may not be present.
The 6-membered aromatic heterocycle is particularly preferably a pyridyl radical, in particular a 3-pyridyl radical, or a radical of the formula 
in which X is CH2, S, SO or SO2.
The abovementioned heterocyclic radicals may or may not have 1, 2 or 3 of the abovementioned substituents, where these substituents are preferably selected, independently of one another, from alkyl, halogen, difluoromethyl or trifluoromethyl.
A is particularly preferably a radical of the formulae: 
in which R3, R4, R6, R7, R8 and R9 independently of one another are hydrogen, alkyl, in particular methyl, halogen, in particular chlorine, CHF2 or CF3.
The radical R1 in the formula I is preferably a hydrogen atom.
The radical R2 in the formula I is preferably a phenyl radical. R2 preferably has at least one substituent which is particularly preferably in the 2-position. The substituent (or the substituents) is (are) preferably selected from the group consisting of alkyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl, halogen or phenyl.
The substituents of the radical R2 may in turn be substituted again. The aliphatic or cycloaliphatic substituents may be partially or fully halogenated, in particular fluorinated or chlorinated. They preferably have 1, 2 or 3 fluorine or chlorine atoms. If the substituent of the radical R2 is a phenyl group, this phenyl group may preferably be substituted by from 1 to 3 halogen atoms, in particular chlorine atoms, and/or by a radical which is preferably selected from alkyl and alkoxy. Particularly preferably, the phenyl group is substituted with a halogen atom in the p-position, i.e. the particularly preferred substituent of the radical R2 is a p-halogen-substituted phenyl radical. The radical R2 may also be condensed with a saturated 5-membered ring, where this ring for its part may have from 1 to 3 alkyl substituents.
R2 is in this case, for example, indanyl, thiaindanyl and oxaindanyl. Preference is given to indanyl and 2-oxaindanyl which are attached to the nitrogen atom in particular via the 4-position.
According to a preferred embodiment, the composition according to the invention comprises as amide compound a compound of the formula I in which A is as defined below: phenyl, pyridyl, dihydropyranyl, dihydrooxathiynyl, dihydrooxathiynyloxide, dihydrooxathiynyldioxide, furyl, thiazolyl, pyrazolyl or oxazolyl, where these groups may have 1, 2 or 3 substituents which are selected, independently of one another, from alkyl, halogen, difluoromethyl and trifluoromethyl.
According to a further preferred embodiment, A is one of the following groups:
pyridin-3-yl, which may or may not be substituted in the 2-position by halogen, methyl, difluoromethyl, trifluoromethyl, methoxy, methylthio, methylsulfynyl or methylsulfonyl; phenyl, which may or may not be substituted in the 2-position by methyl, trifluoromethyl, chlorine, bromine or iodine;
2-methyl-5,6-dihydropyran-3-yl;
2-methyl-5,6-dihydro-1,4-oxathiyn-3-yl or the 4-oxide or 4,4-dioxide thereof;
2-methylfuran-3-yl, which may or may not be substituted in the 4- and/or 5-position by methyl;
thiazol-5-yl, which may or may not be substituted in the 2- and/or 4-position by methyl, chlorine, difluoromethyl or trifluoromethyl;
thiazol-4-yl, which may or may not be substituted in the 2- and/or 5-position by methyl, chlorine, difluoromethyl or trifluoromethyl;
1-methylpyrazol-4-yl, which may or may not be substituted in the 3- and/or 5-position by methyl, chlorine, difluoromethyl or trifluoromethyl; or
oxazol-5-yl, which may or may not be substituted in the 2- and/or 4-position by methyl or chlorine.
According to a further preferred embodiment, the compositions according to the invention comprise as amide compound a compound of the formula I in which R2 is a phenyl group which may or may not be substituted by 1, 2 or 3 of the abovementioned substituents.
According to a further preferred embodiment, the compositions according to the invention comprise as amide compound a compound of the formula I in which R2 is a phenyl group which has one of the following substituents in the 2-position:
C3-C6-alkyl, C5-C6-cycloalkenyl, C5-C6-cycloalkyloxy, cycloalkenyloxy, where these groups may be substituted by 1, 2 or 3 C1-C4-alkyl groups,
phenyl, which is substituted by from 1 to 5 halogen atoms and/or from 1 to 3 groups which are selected, independently of one another, from C1-C4-alkyl, C1-C4-haloalkyl, C1-C4-alkoxy, C1-C4-haloalkoxy, C1-C4-alkylthio and C1-C4-haloalkylthio,
indanyl or oxaindanyl which may or may not be substituted by 1, 2 or 3 C1-C4-alkyl groups.
According to a further preferred embodiment, the compositions according to the invention comprise as amide compound a compound of the formula Ia, 
in which
A is 
X is methylene, sulfur, sulfynyl or sulfonyl (SO2),
R3 is methyl, difluoromethyl, trifluoromethyl, chlorine, bromine or iodine,
R4 is trifluoromethyl or chlorine,
R5 is hydrogen or methyl,
R6 is methyl, difluoromethyl, trifluoromethyl or chlorine,
R7 is hydrogen, methyl or chlorine,
R8 is methyl, difluoromethyl or trifluoromethyl,
R9 is hydrogen, methyl, difluoromethyl, trifluoromethyl or chlorine,
R10 is C1-C4-alkyl, C1-C4-alkoxy, C1-C4-alkylthio or halogen.
According to a particularly preferred embodiment, the compositions comprise as amide compound a compound of the formula Ib 
in which
R4 is halogen and
R11 is phenyl which is substituted by halogen.
Useful amide compounds of the formula I are mentioned in EP-A-545 099 and 589 301 which are incorporated herein in their entirety by reference.
The preparation of the amide compounds of the formula I is known, for example, from EP-A-545 099 or 589 301 or can be carried out by similar processes.
To unfold synergistic activity, even a small amount of amide compound of the formula I is sufficient. Preference is given to employing amide compound and fenarimol in a weight ratio in a range of from 20:1 to 1:20, in particular 10:1 to 1:10.
Owing to the basic character of their nitrogen atoms, the compounds I are capable of forming salts or adducts with inorganic or organic acids or with metal ions.
Examples of inorganic acids are hydrohalic acids such as hydrofluoric acid, hydrochloric acid, hydrobromic acid and hydriodic acid, sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid and nitric acid.
Suitable organic acids are, for example, formic acid and alkanoic acids, such as acetic acid, trifluoroacetic acid, trichloroacetic acid and propionic acid, and also glycolic acid, thiocyanic acid, lactic acid, succinic acid, citric acid, benzoic acid, cinnamic acid, oxalic acid, alkylsulfonic acids (sulfonic acids having straight-chain or branched alkyl radicals of 1 to 20 carbon atoms), arylsulfonic acids or aryldisulfonic acids (aromatic radicals, such as phenyl and naphthyl, which carry one or two sulfo groups), alkylphosphonic acids (phosphonic acids having straight-chain or branched alkyl radicals of 1 to 20 carbon atoms), arylphosphonic acids or aryldiphosphonic acids (aromatic radicals, such as phenyl and naphthyl, which carry one or two phosphonic acid radicals), it being possible for the alkyl or aryl radicals to carry further substituents, e.g. p-toluenesulfonic acid, salicylic acid, p-aminosalicylic acid, 2-phenoxybenzoic acid, 2-acetoxybenzoic acid, etc.
Suitable metal ions are, in particular, the ions of the elements of the first to eighth subgroup, in particular chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc and furthermore of the second main group, in particular calcium and magnesium, and of the third and fourth main group, in particular aluminum, tin and lead. The metals can exist in the various valencies which they can assume.
When preparing the mixtures, it is preferred to employ the pure active ingredients I and II, to which further active ingredients against harmful fungi or other pests, such as insects, arachnids or nematodes, or else herbicidal or growth-regulating active ingredients or fertilizers can be admixed.
The mixtures of the compounds I and II, or the compounds I and II used simultaneously, jointly or separately, exhibit outstanding activity against a wide range of phytopathogenic fungi, in particular from the classes of the Ascomycetes, Basidiomycetes, Phycomycetes and Deuteromycetes. Some of them act systemically and can therefore also be employed as foliar- and soil-acting fungicides.
They are especially important for controlling a large number of fungi in a variety of crop plants, such as cotton, vegetable species (e.g. cucumbers, beans, tomatoes, potatoes and cucurbits), barley, grass, oats, bananas, coffee, maize, fruit species, rice, rye, soya, grapevine, wheat, ornamentals, sugar cane, and a variety of seeds.
They are particularly suitable for controlling the following phytopathogenic fungi: Erysiphe graminis (powdery mildew) in cereals, Erysiphe cichoracearum and Sphaerotheca fuliginea in cucurbits, Podosphaera leucotricha in apples, Uncinula necator in grapevines, Puccinia species in cereals, Rhizoctonia species in cotton, rice and lawns, Ustilago species in cereals and sugar cane, Venturia inaequalis (scab) in apples, Helminthosporium species in cereals, Septoria nodorum in wheat, Botrytis cinerea (gray mold) in strawberries, vegetables, ornamentals and grapevines, Cercospora arachidicola in groundnuts, Pseudocercosporella herpotrichoides in wheat and barley, Pyricularia oryzae in rice, Phytophthora infestans in potatoes and tomatoes, Plasmopara viticola in grapevines, Pseudoperonospora species in hops and cucumbers, Alternaria species in vegetables and fruit, Mycosphaerella species in bananas and Fusarium and Verticillium species.
The mixtures according to the invention may particularly preferably be employed for controlling powdery mildew fungi in crops of vegetables and grapevines, and also in ornamentals.
The compounds I and II can be applied simultaneously, either together or separately, or in succession, the sequence, in the case of separate application, generally not having any effect on the result of the control measures.
Depending on the kind of effect desired, the application rates of the mixtures according to the invention are, in particular in agricultural crop areas, from 0.01 to 8 kg/ha, preferably 0.1 to 5 kg/ha, in particular 0.5 to 3.0 kg/ha.
The application rates of the compounds I are from 0.01 to 2.5 kg/ha, preferably 0.05 to 2.5 kg/ha, in particular 0.1 to 1.0 kg/ha.
Correspondingly, in the case of the compounds II, the application rates are from 0.01 to 10 kg/ha, preferably 0.05 to 5 kg/ha, in particular 0.05 to 2.0 kg/ha.
For seed treatment, the application rates of the mixture are generally from 0.001 to 250 g/kg of seed, preferably 0.01 to 100 g/kg, in particular 0.01 to 50 g/kg.
If phytopathogenic harmful fungi are to be controlled, the separate or joint application of the compounds I and II or of the mixtures of the compounds I and II is effected by spraying or dusting the seeds, the plants or the soils before or after sowing of the plants, or before or after plant emergence.
The fungicidal synergistic mixtures according to the invention, or the compounds I and II, can be formulated for example in the form of ready-to-spray solutions, powders and suspensions or in the form of highly concentrated aqueous, oily or other suspensions, dispersions, emulsions, oil dispersions, pastes, dusts, materials for broadcasting or granules, and applied by spraying, atomizing, dusting, broadcasting or watering. The use form depends on the intended purpose; in any case, it should ensure as fine and uniform as possible a distribution of the mixture according to the invention.
The formulations are prepared in a known manner, e.g. by extending the active ingredient with solvents and/or carriers, if desired using emulsifiers and dispersants, it being possible also to use other organic solvents as auxiliary solvents if water is used as the diluent. Suitable auxiliaries for this purpose are essentially: solvents such as aromatics (e.g. xylene), chlorinated aromatics (e.g. chlorobenzenes), paraffins (e.g. mineral oil fractions), alcohols (e.g. methanol, butanol), ketones (e.g. cyclohexanone), amines (e.g. ethanolamine, dimethylformamide) and water; carriers such as ground natural minerals (e.g. kaolins, clays, talc, chalk) and ground synthetic minerals (e.g. finely divided silica, silicates); emulsifiers such as nonionic and anionic emulsifiers (e.g. polyoxyethylene fatty alcohol ethers, alkylsulfonates and arylsulfonates) and dispersants such as lignosulfite waste liquors and methylcellulose.
Suitable surfactants are the alkali metal salts, alkaline earth metal salts and ammonium salts of aromatic sulfonic acids, e.g. ligno-, phenol-, naphthalene- and dibutylnaphthalenesulfonic acid, and of fatty acids, alkyl- and alkylarylsulfonates, alkyl, lauryl ether and fatty alcohol sulfates, and salts of sulfated hexa-, hepta- and octadecanols, or of fatty alcohol glycol ethers, condensates of sulfonated naphthalene and its derivatives with formaldehyde, condensates of naphthalene or of the naphthalenesulfonic acids with phenol and formaldehyde, polyoxyethylene octylphenol ether, ethoxylated isooctyl-, octyl- or nonylphenol, alkylphenol polyglycol ethers, tributylphenyl polyglycol ethers, alkylaryl polyether alcohols, isotridecyl alcohol, fatty alcohol/ethylene oxide condensates, ethoxylated castor oil, polyoxyethylene alkyl ethers or polyoxypropylene alkyl ethers, lauryl alcohol polyglycol ether acetate, sorbitol esters, lignosulfite waste liquors or methylcellulose.
Powders, materials for broadcasting and dusts can be prepared by mixing or jointly grinding the compounds I or II, or the mixture of the compounds I and II, with a solid carrier.
Granules (e.g. coated granules, impregnated granules or homogeneous granules) are usually prepared by binding the active ingredient, or active ingredients, to a solid carrier.
Fillers or solid carriers are, for example, mineral earths, such as silicas, silica gels, silicates, talc, kaolin, limestone, lime, chalk, bole, loess, clay, dolomite, diatomaceous earth, calcium sulfate, magnesium sulfate, magnesium oxide, ground synthetic materials and fertilizers, such as ammonium sulfate, ammonium phosphate, ammonium nitrate, ureas, and products of vegetable origin, such as cereal meal, tree bark meal, wood meal and nutshell meal, cellulose powders or other solid carriers.
The formulations generally comprise from 0.1 to 95% by weight, preferably 0.5 to 90% by weight, of one of the compounds I or II or of the mixture of the compounds I and II. The active ingredients are employed in a purity of from 90% to 100%, preferably 95% to 100% (according to NMR spectrum or HPLC).
The compounds I and II, the mixtures, or the corresponding formulations, are applied by treating the harmful fungi, their habitat, or the plants, seeds, soils, areas, materials or spaces to be kept free from them with a fungicidally effective amount of the mixture, or of the compounds I and II in the case of separate application.
Application can be effected before or after infection by the harmful fungi.